How to use the command 'wl-paste' (with examples)

The wl-paste command is a utility in the Wayland ecosystem that allows users to interact with, and manipulate, the contents of their clipboard. It functions similarly to the clipboard tools available in the X Window System but is particularly designed for Wayland. This tool is part of the wl-clipboard package, which provides seamless clipboard functionality between command-line operations and graphical applications. Whether you want to paste text directly into a terminal, save it to a file, or pipe it to another command, wl-paste offers a versatile way to manage clipboard content.

Use case 1: Paste the contents of the clipboard

Code:

wl-paste

Motivation:

Often, users need to retrieve text from the clipboard and see it directly in their terminal. By simply fetching the clipboard content, users can quickly inspect what has been copied, without needing a graphical interface. This can be particularly useful for developers or system administrators who are working within a terminal-focused environment and need to verify clipboard contents or reuse them in a CLI (Command Line Interface) environment.

Explanation:

The command wl-paste contains no additional arguments in its basic form. When executed, it simply outputs the current content of the Wayland clipboard to the terminal. The command operates by accessing the clipboard buffer and pasting the stored data into the terminal session, providing a seamless way to visualize clipboard contents.

Example output:

If the clipboard contains the text “Hello, World!”, executing wl-paste will result in:

Hello, World!

Use case 2: Paste the contents of the primary clipboard (highlighted text)

Code:

wl-paste --primary

Motivation:

Using this option is crucial for users who utilize the primary clipboard selection inherent in X-based systems, where text that is highlighted is automatically copied. This feature is efficient for those working with text until they need access to the content momentarily highlighted rather than what has been explicitly “copied”.

Explanation:

The --primary flag specifies that wl-paste should access the primary selection clipboard rather than the standard clipboard. In the context of Wayland and X systems, the primary clipboard is populated through highlighting text, and this command prints that specific content in the terminal.

Example output:

If the primary clipboard has selected “wl-paste example”, executing the command will yield:

wl-paste example

Use case 3: Write the contents of the clipboard to a file

Code:

wl-paste > path/to/file

Motivation:

Frequently, there arises a need to save the clipboard content into a file for later reference, archival, or processing. This process solidifies the transient clipboard data into a permanent and portable format that users can access or share at a later time. It’s vital for maintaining backups or for gathering logs.

Explanation:

Here, wl-paste is used in combination with the > redirection operator. This operator takes the output from wl-paste and redirects it to the specified file path (noted as path/to/file). Instead of printing clipboard content to the terminal, it writes it into the given file, overwriting its previous content.

Example output:

If the clipboard contains “Save this content”, executing this command with a file path like output.txt will result in output.txt containing:

Save this content

Use case 4: Pipe the contents of the clipboard to a command

Code:

wl-paste | command

Motivation:

For advanced users and those looking to streamline workflows, being able to pipe the clipboard contents into another command is invaluable. This technique allows users to transform, analyze, or process clipboard content dynamically without intermediate files. It facilitates seamless integration into complex command-line operations, enhancing productivity and flexibility.

Explanation:

The | (pipe) operator is used to pass the output of wl-paste directly into another command for processing. This is particularly powerful in shell scripting and when performing text filtering or transformations. Users replace command with any utility or script they wish to use for further processing the clipboard data.

Example output:

Suppose the clipboard contains “Hello World” and the command tr '[:lower:]' '[:upper:]' is used to transform it to uppercase. Running:

wl-paste | tr '[:lower:]' '[:upper:]'

This will yield:

HELLO WORLD

Conclusion:

The wl-paste command offers diverse use cases for efficiently managing clipboard content within a Wayland environment. From simply displaying copied text in the terminal to redirecting and transforming data using other commands, wl-paste is a versatile tool in any power user’s arsenal. Whether users are scripting complex workflows or merely keeping track of copied data, wl-paste provides essential functionality to enhance their command-line experience.